Vandals steal squirrel monkey from S.F. Zoo

Stephanie M. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, December 31, 2011

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Image 1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

Visitors look at the squirrel monkey exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011. Zoo officials discovered a hole cut was in the fence of the exhibit and one of the primates named Banana-Sam missing when keepers arrived for work in the morning. less

Visitors look at the squirrel monkey exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011. Zoo officials discovered a hole cut was in the fence of the exhibit and one of the ... more

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Vandals steal squirrel monkey from S.F. Zoo

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

A $5,000 reward is being offered for the return of Banana-Sam, a squirrel monkey who was snatched from his cage at the San Francisco Zoo overnight.

Zoo and police officials are searching for the gold-colored monkey, who appeared to have been stolen late Thursday or early Friday when vandals broke in to the zoo and cut the netting around the squirrel monkey pen.

"This was a criminal act of vandalism and trespassing, and we are working with the police to identify the perpetrators," said Tanya Peterson, the zoo's executive director.

Squirrel monkeys are not endangered, but are often used as exotic pets or in medical research institutions, she said. It is illegal to keep a monkey as a pet in California but not some other states.

At 17, Banana-Sam was among the oldest of 20 male squirrel monkeys given to the zoo last year after a local research institution closed. Two have since died, leaving 18.

"We are hoping he has nine lives and will be rescued again," Peterson said.

Two security guards were patrolling the 100-acre zoo Thursday night when the break-in apparently occurred, Peterson said. Security has been doubled this holiday weekend in case the thieves attempt to return, she said.

While admittedly cute, squirrel monkeys, which can weigh up to 3 pounds, do not make good pets, Peterson said.

"He has extremely sharp teeth and will definitely bite if provoked," zoo officials said in a statement.

Banana-Sam also has special nutritional needs, said Corinne MacDonald, the zoo's curator of primates and carnivores.

"He's older. He has a specialized diet. He's a very social animal," she said. "He's got companions here in this group that are cage mates of his that he gets along well with. And not to mention, I have a very dedicated staff that spends a lot of time with these animals. It is a huge insult to us to have someone come in and just take one away from us."

The theft apparently occurred between 5 p.m. Thursday, when keepers left for the day, and 8 a.m. Friday, when keepers noticed two holes cut into the mesh wall of the cage.